Assembly hears bill to create transparent process for sanctioning high-school sports; amendment would fast-track lacrosse

Sen. Fabian Nagnati (Senate District 10) presented Senate Bill 305 to the Assembly Committee on Education, describing the bill as a measure to require the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) to adopt and publish transparent regulations for when and how a club sport may become a sanctioned interscholastic sport. "SB305 is an act relating to interscholastic activities requiring the Nevada interscholastic activities association to adopt regulations that set forth the process for the association to designate a sanctioned sport," the sponsor said.

The bill as reprinted asks the NIAA to create and publish a clear sanctioning process, covering eligibility, competition rules and season length. A conceptual amendment discussed during the hearing would expressly add lacrosse to the sanctioning pathway and direct the NIAA to adopt regulations by Oct. 1, 2025. Supporters — including current and former club players, youth-league organizers, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs professional organization and USA Lacrosse — urged the committee to advance the bill so high-school players could access buses, school support, signings and state‑championship opportunities enjoyed by sanctioned sports.

Paul Speaker, CEO of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs and San Diego Seals, and Mark Riccio of USA Lacrosse outlined national growth trends and local organizing efforts. Student speakers and club leaders described out‑of‑pocket costs for equipment, lack of school buses, difficulty displaying trophies at school and lost recruiting visibility. Dacia Persky of Vegas Strong Lacrosse said the club had grown from 40 to more than 200 players in two years and that several players had received NCAA opportunities; Justin Cutler and other organizers said Northern Nevada leagues already operate with teams, schedules and officials.

Districts and the NIAA offered technical cautions. Tess Opperman, representing Washoe County School District, said the district supports a transparent NIAA process but opposed singling out any single sport in statute; she cited estimated first‑year district costs around $2,000,000 and limited field space as district concerns. Brad Keating of Clark County School District said sanctioning does not compel districts to field teams but noted equipment, facilities and staffing are local decisions and that private donors have supplied equipment in some places.

NIAA Executive Director Tim Jackson described a recent internal regulation the association is developing that creates a "continuum" approach for emerging club sports to transition toward full sanctioning. Jackson said the NIAA supports a transparent process but cautioned that a conceptual amendment forcing immediate sanctioning without school‑level data could require the association to adopt a sport without information needed to ensure statewide participation and district readiness.

Legal counsel told the committee that while Nevada statutes generally leave sport selection to the NIAA’s regulatory process, the legislature may include transitory language in a bill directing an agency to take action by a certain date — a path the committee could use to require prompt action without imposing a permanent statutory mandate.

Committee members asked about timelines, season alignment, and whether naming lacrosse in statute would create a precedent. Several members said they preferred a regulatory solution or transitory language that would require the NIAA to act within a defined period; sponsors argued some communities have waited a decade for action and that lacrosse organizers have already done much of the work to make their sport "turnkey."

The transcript records extensive public support testimony from players, parents, coaches and club leaders in Carson City and Las Vegas and multiple callers. No recorded committee vote or final action on the conceptual amendment appears in the transcript; sponsors said they would continue work on the bill ahead of work‑session deadlines.